A virus that's been slamming elephant seals in the Southern Hemisphere has now turned up on a California beach. Scientists on Wednesday confirmed the first known cases of the H5N1 bird flu virus in northern elephant seals, after seven pups at Año Nuevo State Park tested positive. They're among roughly 30 seals that have died there since late last week; more test results are pending, the New York Times reports. The park, which is a popular place for visitors to see about 5,000 breeding seals each winter, has shut viewing areas and canceled tours for the rest of the season. Most of the dead seals were weaned pups, and one was an adult male, SFGate reports.
Most of the colony still appears healthy, and researchers say they haven't seen deaths spike sharply—a "hopeful" sign. Another good sign reported by ABC 7: Most of the adult females had already left the area for their migrations. But southern elephant seals in Argentina and South Georgia have suffered massive die-offs from H5N1, raising fears this outbreak could escalate. Officials say the current risk to the public is low and are urging people to stay away from marine mammals. The virus, part of a newer wave of H5N1 that has hit a wide range of birds and mammals and infected 70 people in the US since 2024, remains primarily an animal threat, but scientists are closely tracking how it moves through this highly monitored colony.
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